Is it time for professional sport to grow up?

In the first episode of the Leonard Curtis Business of Sport podcast, host James Cooper is joined by Leonard Curtis Director Alex Cadwallader and sports finance expert Professor Rob Wilson to explore one of the biggest questions facing the industry today: is professional sport operating on a sustainable financial footing? Drawing on insights from the Leonard Curtis Business of Sport report series, the discussion examines why so many clubs and governing bodies continue to face financial pressure despite growing revenues. The episode covers governance, ownership, regulation, competitive balance and the structural challenges affecting rugby, football, cricket and other sports. Whether you work in sport, invest in the sector or simply want to understand the business forces shaping the games we love, this episode provides a clear and insightful introduction to the financial issues at the heart of modern sport. ------------------------------ Timestamps 0:00 – Introduction & Welcome 1:28 – Meet the Guests: Alex Cadwallader & Professor Rob Wilson 4:02 – Why Leonard Curtis Entered the World of Sport Finance 5:53 – The Power of Independent Research in Sport 11:20 – Is Sport a Business? 16:00 – Rugby Union: The Financial State of Play 20:16 – Private Equity, Governance & the Spending Problem 28:39 – The Performance Index: On-Pitch vs Off-Pitch 35:21 – Cricket & the Franchise Question: Lessons from the IPL 38:46 – The Risk of Disruption: What If The Hundred Fails? 42:21 – RFU vs ECB: Who's Running Their Sport Better? 45:02 – The Second Tier Problem: Championship Rugby & County Cricket 46:37 – Crystal Ball: Where Will Rugby Union Be in Five Years? 50:41 – England at the Rugby World Cup 52:15 – Why Sport Must Stop Comparing Itself to Football ------------------------------- Read our sports finance reports: https://www.leonardcurtis.co.uk/busin... Follow our Instagram:   / lcbusinessofsport   Follow Alex Cadwallader on LinkedIn:   / alex-cadwallader-84952228   Follow Professor Rob Wilson on LinkedIn:   / prof-rob-wilson-a8501428   Follow James Cooper on LinkedIn:   / jamescooper207   ------------------------------ Filmed at University Campus of Football Business’ Manchester Podcast Studio ------------------------------ Thank you to our UCFB student production team: Rowan MacLellan, Editor Calum Spiller, Autocue Evie Malcom, Production assistant Ella Mazurke, Camera and Lighting Louis Jones, Audio ------------------------------ Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at [email protected] and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.